Originally titled Kawaida after one of its five tunes, this 1969 album paired Herbie Hancock with an outstanding group of peers for some spirit-enhancing, soulful jams. Hancock's meditative piano is the focus of the modal, haunting "Baraka" and the contemplative and profound "Kamili." Don Cherry's trumpet blazes forth on Albert Heath's "Dunia," a free jazz free-for-all. "Maulana" and "Kawaida" are percussion-driven numbers that include inspirational, spoken-word overlays.

"Having left the [Miles] Davis band in 1968, Hancock recorded an elegant funk album, Fat Albert Rotunda, and in 1969 formed a sextet that evolved into one of the most exciting, forward-looking jazz-rock groups of the era … creating its own corner of the avant-garde. By 1970, all of the musicians used both English and African names."—All Music Guide